Tongue-support.



No. 643,736. Patented Feb. 2o, |900. G. w. WRIGHT.

TONGUE SUPPORT.

(Application filed July 15, 1899.)

uH"1%lllIIlHNIIIIIIIIIIHIHNIMIIHI UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

GEORGE WASHINGTON WRIGHT, OE YOAKUM, TEXAS;

TONGUE-SUPPORT.

sri-:cinnamon forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,736, datedEeimfuaryl 2o, 1900.l rlpplication led July l5, 1899. Serial No.724,022. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE WASHINGTON VRIGHT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Yoakum, in the county of De Witt and State of Texas,have invented a new and useful Tongue-Support, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to tongue-supports for vehicles, and has for itsobject to provide a detachable device which may be fitted to therunning-gear of any vehicle without changing the construction thereof.

To this end the present invention consists in the combination andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shownin the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in thevappended claim, it being understood that changes in the form,proportion, size, and the minor details of construction may be madewithin the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spiritor sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

In the drawings, Figure lisa top plan view of a portion of therunning-gear of a vehicle having the present invention applied thereto.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective View of the improved tongue-support.

Corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings aredesignated by like characters of reference.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be seen thatthe device comprises a fiat metallic plate 1, preferably rectangular inform and provided with a central opening 2. The respective rear cornersof the plate are each provided with an opening 3, in which is connecteda link of a chain-section 4, the rear ends of the chain-sections beingconnected together by a suitable ring 5. The opposite forward corners ofthe plate are also provided With openings 6, in which are engaged thehooks 7 of the respective coiled springs 8, which have their forwardends provided with suitable hooks 9 for engagementwith a dat triangularplate 10. VThe base of the triangular plate is arranged adjacent to theforward ends of the springs, and the hooks 9 of the latter are fitted inopenings 11, provided through the plate at the opposite rear cornersthereof.

Arranged longitudinally in front of the tri-vv angular plate is a rod12, having its rear end provided with a hook or link 13, which isengaged in an opening 14, provided through the apex of the triangularplate. l

The application of the device will be best understood by reference toFigs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, in which have beenillustrated an axle 15, a bolster 16,located above the axle, and areach-bar 17, having its forward end arranged between the axle and thebo1ster,and pivotally connected thereto by the usual king-bolt 18,extending forwardly fromthe axle 15, are the usual hounds 19, betweenthe forward ends of which is pivoted the tongue 20, upon a suitabletransverse pivot-bolt 21, extending through the opposite hounds and therear end of the tongue.

In applying the present device the rectangular anchor-plate is placedupon the top of the bolster 16 and the king-bolt 18 is positionedthrough the opening 2 of the plate, whereby the latter is held in arelativelyfixed position upon the bolster. The convergent chains 4extend rearwardly from the anchor-plate, and the ring 5 is engaged witha suitable hook 22, provided upon the upper side of the reach. Thesprings 8 and the rod 12 extend longitudinally in front of the bolster,and the forward end of said rod is provided with a ring or hook 23 forengagement with a suitable hook 24, provided upon the upper side of thetongue and in advance of the pivotal point thereof. Thus it will be seenthat the rear end of the device is fixed to the reach 17 and the forwardend thereof is fixed to the tongue in advance of the pivotal pointthereof, the intermediate portion of the device extending over' the topof the bolster, whereby the forward end of the tongue is normallymaintained in an elevated position, and the springs S provide for therequired lexibility, whereby the outer end of the tongue is free to riseand fall with the movement of the draft-animals.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the present devicemay be readily fitted to vehicles of various forms without changing oraltering the construction thereof. Furthermore, the several parts of thedevice are {iexibly connected together, so that they may give with themovement of the vehicle ICO . viate displacement of the latter andmaintain a straight pull or tension upon the tongue.

That I claim is- In a tongue-support, the combination with a flat platehaving a central opening therein, and receiving the king-bolt of theVehicle, of a pair of chains connected to the rear end of the plate andat opposite sides of the opening therein, convergent rearwardlytherefrom, and detachably connected at their point of convergence to thereach-bar of the vehicle, a pair of springs connected to the forwardportion of the plate, and at opposite sides of the opening therein, atriangular plate having the forward ends of the springs connected to theopposite rear corners of the plate, and a rod loosely connected to theforward end or Vertex of the plate, extending forward therefrom, anddetachably connected at its forward end to the tongue, in advance of thepivotal point of the latter, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

his GEORGE WASHINGTON X WRIGHT.

mark lVitnesses:

J. H. CREES, W. R. BOGLE.

